Senate File 206 - Introduced SENATE FILE 206 BY CARLIN A BILL FOR An Act requesting the establishment of a special education 1 interim study committee. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1788XS (7) 88 kh/jh

S.F. 206 Section 1. INTERIM STUDY COMMITTEE —— SPECIAL EDUCATION. 1 1. The legislative council is requested to establish an 2 interim study committee to study and make recommendations 3 relating to special education program requirements and outcomes 4 for students with individualized education programs. 5 2. The study committee shall review state and federal 6 laws relating to students with individualized education 7 programs (IEPs); shall determine the ways in which inclusion 8 requirements and least restrictive environment placements 9 affect the classroom, including but not limited to the teaching 10 staff, teacher retention, teacher professional development, 11 and student and peer outcomes when children requiring special 12 education are placed in a general education classroom; shall 13 review evidence-based practices and strategies by which schools 14 and teachers can best accommodate students with IEPs who have 15 severe emotional, social, and behavioral problems; shall 16 develop or identify strategies designed to improve outcomes 17 for children requiring special education; and shall develop 18 or identify a graduated process for the transfer of a child 19 requiring special education from a self-contained classroom to 20 a general education classroom. 21 3. The study committee shall receive input from, at a 22 minimum, the department of education, the area education 23 agencies, school administrators, special education teachers, 24 general education teachers, mental health professionals with 25 experience in children’s mental health, and boards of directors 26 of school districts. 27 4. The study committee shall submit a report with its 28 findings and recommendations to the general assembly and to 29 each member of Iowa’s congressional delegation on or before 30 December 20, 2019. 31 EXPLANATION 32 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 33 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 34 This bill requests the legislative council to establish 35 -1- LSB 1788XS (7) 88 kh/jh 1/ 2

S.F. 206 an interim study committee to study and make recommendations 1 relating to special education program requirements and outcomes 2 for students with individualized education programs (IEPs). 3 The study committee shall review state and federal laws; 4 shall determine the ways in which inclusion requirements and 5 placements affect classrooms, teachers, and student and peer 6 outcomes when children requiring special education are placed 7 in a general education classroom; shall review evidence-based 8 practices and strategies by which schools and teachers can 9 best accommodate students with IEPs who have severe emotional, 10 social, and behavioral problems; shall develop or identify 11 strategies designed to improve outcomes for children requiring 12 special education; and shall develop or identify a graduated 13 process for the transfer of a child requiring special education 14 from a self-contained classroom to a general education 15 classroom. 16 The study committee shall receive input from, at a minimum, 17 the department of education, the area education agencies, 18 and the boards of directors of school districts; school 19 administrators; special education teachers; general education 20 teachers; and mental health professionals with experience in 21 children’s mental health. 22 The study committee shall submit a report with its findings 23 and recommendations to the general assembly and to each member 24 of Iowa’s congressional delegation on or before December 20, 25 2019. 26 -2- LSB 1788XS (7) 88 kh/jh 2/ 2